The purpose of this proposal to establish an NHLBI Research Center at Howard University that will augment and Strengthen research capabilities and resources in biomedical and behavioral research related to heart, lung and blood, and sleep diseases and disorders. The focus of the Center will be hemoglobinopathies, iron metabolism and oxygen-sensing, and It will build on and synergize with our existing NHLBI Research Scientist Program. From 1999 to 2010, the NHLBI Research Scientist Award at Howard University has facilitated the organization of a new research program that has contributed to the acquisition of 34 additional grants with total direct costs of over $29,000,000 and total Indirect costs of over $9,000,000. The program has been instrumental in bringing 11 new research faculty to Howard University. It has also provided research opportunities for 22 undergraduate students, 14 medical students, 7 masters level graduate students, 8 PhD candidates, 10 post-doctoral candidates, 19 residents and fellows, and 22 existing faculty members. Progress has been made in a variety of diseases that disproportionately affect minority populations, including severe malarial anemia, non-HFE iron overload, the influence of underlying hematologic conditions on HIV disease, and the pulmonary complications of sickle cell disease. The Award has resulted in 150 peer-reviewed publications. Building on this success, we now propose to establish an NHLBI Research Center at Howard University. Aim 1. Establish an External Advisory Board of six external scientists who will advise the proposed NHLBI Research Center at Howard University leadership and provide an evaluation of the research program. Aim 2. Recruit an additional established scientist who can complement and build upon our existing research program in hemglobinopathies, iron metabolism and oxygen sensing. Aim 3. Expand and enhance the research advances made by the existing NHLBI Research Scientist Program at Howard University in clinical and molecular aspects of sickle cell disease, iron metabolism and oxygen sensing in African-Americans and other populations.